The awards totaled $225,000 and went to “the best and the brightest” applicants studying the sciences, engineering and medicine at a host of Colorado colleges and universities.

In addition, chapter president Ann Brown announced that David J. Wineland, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics, is the 2013-2014 Honoree of the Year. He is a Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is a lecturer in physics at the University of Colorado Boulder.

CSU Chancellor Michael Martin welcomed the group to the university and noted that the science “pipeline” isn’t as full as it needs to be. He went on to say that ARCS has bet on these bright and dedicated students as winners and they have an obligation to succeed in school, go out and practice in their field, and be engaged citizens.

Brown introduced Wineland by describing how he followed his passion for physics, which started in college. “He is a humble man with a love for 1934 Fords and believes that it is important to work with your hands to see how things are made,” Brown said.

Wineland spoke of how honored he was to receive the Nobel Prize and how he and the longtime colleague with whom he shares the award, Dr. Serge Haroche, believe that the prize could also be shared with hundreds of others working in the field.

He said he enjoys meeting students all over the world and that when he speaks to them, he encourages them to pursue their careers and enjoy the process.

“It is important to choose something you like and stick with it to pursue your intellectual endeavors; never do it just to pursue the prize.”

CBS4 news anchor Jim Benemann introduced each of the scholarship recipients and pointed out that they are involved in “an amazing range of pursuits including aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering, computer science, medicine and veterinary medicine.

Scholarships of $5,000 each were presented to 10 students from the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus; 10 University of Colorado at Boulder students; three each from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs; nine Colorado State University students; and 10 students from the Colorado School of Mines.

Since its inception in 1976, ARCS Colorado has awarded $3,254,500 in scholarships to 779 students, 80 percent of whom remain in Colorado after completing their education.

On a national basis, ARCS has presented over $87 million in scholarships to almost 15,000 deserving students. ARCS volunteers give 100 percent of dollars raised to scholarships for these outstanding students in the sciences throughout the nation.